Airplane hangar



Oct. 7, 1930. R. L. MILLS 1,777,376

A IRPLANE IQ'IANGAR Filed Sept. 21, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l Q i? u N II-'J, N T k 3? gwwz'ntoz RoberiLMiZZs WWW R. L. MILLS 1,777,376

A IRPLANE HANGA R 3 Sheets-Sneet 2 Filed Sept. 21, 1928 fioberTLMiZZs R.L. MILLS A IRPLANE HANGAR Oct. 7, 1930.

Filed Sept. 21, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gwuento'c Faber u. M222 .9

Patented Oct. 7, 1930 U'NHT STATES ROBERT LEWIS MILLS, F GREENPORT, NEWYORK AIRPLANE HANGAR Application filed September 21, 1928. Serial No.307,455.

This invention relates to hangars for airplanes and particularly tothose hangars which are particularly adapted to be easily erected, takendown and transported.

Due to the portability of airplanes and to the fact that they may beneeded temporarily in large numbers at one place, there has developedthe need of a hangar of great portability and lightness.

The primary object of this invention is the pro-vision of an airplanehangar which will be portable, yet light and easily taken down and putup.

Other objects of this invention are to provide an airplane hangar whichwill have (1) Substantial corner supports for (2) light flexible sidesand (3) a light flexible roof (4.) reinforcements in the sides and roofsand (5) pockets to receive the reinforcements (6) separate, butconnecting compartments for the wings and fuselage of the airplane to behoused.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art from a reading of the complete specification andclaims.

Referring to the drawing wherein is illustrated a preferred embodimentof this invention,

Figure 1 is a front view of the invention with the front walls in place.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the front wallsremoved.

Figure 8 is a side elevation.

Figure l is a rear elevation.

Figure 5 is a top plan view.

Figures 6 to 8 are detail views of a main support.

Figure 9 is a side View of the main truss.

Figure 10 is a detail view of a cross section of the edge of the roof.

Figure 11 is a detail fragmental view of a section of the pocket at theunderside of a section of the roof showing the position of a 45 bambooreinforcement.

The same reference characters refer to the same or similar partsthroughout the several views of the drawing.

The main supports of the structure are 50 placed at intervals as atcorners and are so the case.

constructed as to be separated to lie flat in transport or shipping.

These main supports are illustrated in place in Figure 2 and are shownin detail on a larger scale in Figures 6, 7, and 8. In the embodimentillustrated a triangular frame comprising the upright member 20, thebase member 21 and the diagonal 22 are provided with stiffening braces23 and 24:. Suitable plates are used to secure these frame memberstogether.

At each side and at about therefrom are two side frames composed of thebase members 25 and the diagonals 26. The frame members 25 and 26 aresecured together by rivets and a suitable corner plate. At the outerends these members 25, 26 are detachably bolted to the upright framemember 20. When detached, the several parts may be laid flat fortransport. The parts 20,21, 22, 28, 24, 25 and 26 are of angle iron inthe illustrated embodiment.

In order to securely hold or anchor the supports to the ground and toadd stability to the structure as a whole, a spiral anchor screw asillustrated at 27 in Figure 6 may, if desired, be screwed into theground below the support and connected to the frame member 23 by aplate, the screw anchor 27 and the frame member 23 being drawn togetherby a suitable turn-buckle 28. If desired, more than one of these anchormeans may be used.

An important feature of the invention is the provision of a compartmentfor the wing portion of the airplane and a separate, but connectingcompartment for the fuselage of the plane. By this construction, it iseasier to support the roof than would otherwise be But in order tosupport the forward end of the roof, to permit entry and exit of theplane, I have provided a truss structure extending between the two frontcorner main supports. The details of the truss are not a part of theinvention and will vary according to the size of the plane to beaccommodated and the conditions under which the hangar is to be used.

In the illustrated embodiment, the main beam is a channel iron 27composed of separable sections 27", 27", 27, 27. Plates 28 are used tosecure the sections of the beam 27 together. These plates are preferablyriveted to one section and bolted to the adjacent section. This permitsseparation when being transported. At the outer end of the sections 27,27 are corner plates 29 to which are attached angles 30, these latterbeing detachably bolted to the diagonal bars 22 of the IIIELIIIsupports.

Spaced along the truss member 27 and depending therefrom, are supportingstraps 31. These straps are turned at their lower ends to form theangular portion 32. These angular portions 32 are perforated for thepassage of ropes which might be termed clews. These clews will be laterdescribed.

Detachably secured to the plates 29 and extending through openings ineach depending strap 31, is a cable having a turnbuc le 33 to provideadjustment.

In the described embodiment, I have provided eight main supports, two atthe front of the hangar supporting the truss, two at the rear corners ofthe wing compartment, two at the rear corners of the fuselagecompartment and two at the junctions of the walls of the compartments ofthe hangar. These main supports at the front of the hangar arepreferably made higher than those at the line of the rear of the wingcompartment and the latter are preferably made higher than the two atthe rear of the fuselage compartment.

By this construction, it will be observed that two important results areobtained first the roof has a slope from front to rear to provide properdrainage for rain water and secondl since the airplane at rest tapers inheig t to the rear, an economy of material is effected by this slopingof the roof of the hangar from front to rear.

The roof is of a light material, preferably of some flexible foldablematerial such as canvas. In the illustration are shown two sections, theforward section 34 covering the wing compartment and the rear section 35covering the fuselage compartment. On the underside of the roof sectionsare reinforcements. In the form illustrated, there are provided stripsof canvas stitched at its edges from the high to the lower part of theroof from front to rear. These strips are on the underside of the roofand provide pockets 36 for bamboo poles 37. Those found to be suitableare of about one inch diameter or slight ly larger. The poles 37 are cuta few inches shorter than the pockets 36. As shown in Figure 11, snapbuttons 38 are provided at the ends of the pockets to retain the polesin place. A flap 39 is provided to overlap the fuselage compartment roofsection 35. At the inner edge of the roof, a strip 40 is stitched, inwhich are placed grommets 41 to secure the roof in place. The roof isextended to provide a storm flap 42 as clearly shown in Figure 10.

As in the case of the roof, strips 36 are applied to the side walls andfront wall of the hangar to form pockets for the reinforcing strips asbamboo 37. In the same way, snap buttons are applied to the ends of thestrips 36 to close the ends of the pockets.

The pockets of the side walls are not continuous throughout theirlengths. An interruption occurs which is shown at 4:3. This exposes thebamboo pole reinforcement. Secured in the upper edge of the side andfront walls are the clew lines 44, already referred to. These lines arefastened to grommets at the top edges of the sides and are spacedcorrespondingly to the grommets 41 in the strip at the edge of the roof.The clew lines in the front walls are so spaced as to be opposite to theopenings in the lower ends 32 of the straps 31 which extend from thetruss member 27. The joining edges of the side and front walls areprovided with cooperating members of snap buttons which secure theseedges together to close the corners and to close the opening between thetwo front wall members. In assembling the hangar, these clew lines arepassed through the grommets 41, the ends being secured to the poles 37at the exposed places 43.

In view of the fact that the side and front walls are inclined in a waythat wind pressure from without forces the lower edges against theground, no provision is illustrated for securing the lower edges to theground. If any such provision is desired, any well known or suitablemethod may be used.

It will be observed that in the construction illustrated, thereinforcing members of the front and rear walls are opposite each otherand are connected through the roof by roof reinforcement members.

I This is true of all except the center roof reinforcing member. Toassist in supporting the rear end of the forward center reinforcementmember and the center reinforcing member of the fuselage compartmentroof, a bamboo polemay be placed across the forward end of the fuselagecompartment roof beneath the flap 39.

While there is shown and described in detail an embodiment of thisinvention, it is to be understood that the disclosure of details ismerely illustrative and thatmodifications and changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scopeof the appended claims.

Having described the invention in detail, what isclaimed and desired tobe secured by Letters Patent is 1. An airplane hangar having a slopingroof of flexible material, side and front walls of flexible material allof the side and front walls having a slope from the ground upwardly andinwardly toward the roof, supporting means at the corners of the hangar,reinforcing means for the roof at two of the opposite edges and elevatedstifi means for supporting the forward edge of the roof and attached atits ends to the forward corner supporting means.

2. An airplane hangar having a sloping roof of flexible material, sideand front walls of flexible material, all of the side and front wallshaving a slope from the ground upwardly and inwardly toward the roof,supporting means at the corners of the hangar and elevated stiff meansfor supporting the forward edge of the roof and attached at its ends tothe forward corner supporting means, the side walls having light,elongated, reinforcing means extending in the direction of slope.

3. An airplane hangar having a sloping roof, side and front walls, allof flexible material, a main compartment for the wing portion of theairplane to be housed and of a greater width than the wing-spreadthereof and another connecting compartment of lesser width to receivethe fuselage of the airplane, supporting means at the corners of thehangar and elevated stiff means for supporting the forward edge of theroof and attached at its ends to the forward corner-supporting means,the front and side walls being sloped from the roof outwardly to theground.

l. An airplane hangar having a sloping roof, side and front walls all offlexible material, a main compartment for the wing portion of theairplane to be housed and of a greater width than the wing-spreadthereof and another connecting compartment of lesser width to receivethe fuselage of the airplane, supporting means at the corners of the hanar and elevated stiff means for supporting the forward edge of the roofand attached at its ends to the forward corner-supporting means, thefront and side walls being sloped from the roof outwardly to the ground,and bamboo strips extending along the slope of the roof and sides andsecured thereto, as reinforcements.

5. An airplane hangar having a sloping roof of flexible material, sideand front walls of flexible material, all of the side and front wallshaving a slope from the ground up wardly and inwardly toward the roofsupporting means at the corners of the hangar, reinforcing means for theroof at two of the opposite edges, elevated stifi means for supportingthe forward edge of the roof and attached at its ends to the forwardcorner supporting means, the corner roof supporting means being of ashape to hold in place the sloping sides at the corners.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

ROBERT LEWVIS MILLS.

